LYNDON, Vt. - The Bard College men's basketball team defeated Northern Vermont University-Johnson, 78-64, in the championship game of the Northern Vermont Tip-Off Classic on Sunday afternoon.

A late 11-5 run, keyed by eight points from Elliot Harris, pushed a four-point Bard lead to 10, and the Beavers didn't get closer than six the rest of the way.

"The team showed a lot of resiliency today," Bard coach Michael Lenahan said. "Our shots weren't falling in the first half, and our defense kept us in it. We kept fighting and were eventually able to pull away for the win."

Harris finished with 19 points, five rebounds and four steals, and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Azriel Almodovar added 15 points and nine rebounds, Lazaros Panagiotounis had 13 points, and Henry Meyers added 13 points off the bench by shooting 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. Stam Koulouris was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

"It's never easy to win a tournament, and that is a great experience for us going forward," Lenahan said. "Congratulations to Stam, the tournament MVP, and Elliot for making the All Tournament Team. It's a credit to how well we played together as a team that we had five or six guys who could have made the All Tournament Team."

Bard next plays in the Hudson Valley Classic on Friday and Saturday. The Raptors will play Mount St. Mary College at New Paltz on Friday, then they'll take on New Paltz at Mount St. Mary on Saturday.

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NVU TIP-OFF CLASSIC 2021

Championship Game:  Bard 78, NVU-Johnson 74
Consolation Game:  NVU-Lyndon 81, Vermont Tech 77
 
Most Outstanding Player:  Stam Koulouris (Bard)

All-Tournament Team:
Elliot Harris, Bard
Malik Moore, NVU-Johnson
Romelle Watt, NVU-Johnson
Zach Falkenburg, NVU-Lyndon
Marquise Moore, Vermont Tech